


New Maid

by thirstyaf_mari



Category: Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Development, First Kiss, Humor, Jealousy, Multi, Original Character(s), Reaperkura, Sakura as a Reaper, Sakura but this time with Venom, Self-Insert, Shitty Writing, Slice of Life, does the nomming of heads need to be tagged, weird love square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-08-21 11:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16575806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirstyaf_mari/pseuds/thirstyaf_mari
Summary: Summoner Mari has taken a liking to the maid uniforms of Flora and Felicia and decides to don it one day, hoping to play a game with the heroes.





	1. Day 1: Leo

  The summoner was considered to be quite an interesting person to the Heroes. She never takes her hood off, no one but the Askr trio and Takumi knew what she actually looked like. Anna once tried to take pictures of her face, saying that people would probably pay a lot to see what the "Legendary Summoner" looked like. 

 

  She made references about things that came from her own world, and without context they just sounded absurd. There were a lot of inside jokes that she made that left her own units in confusion. 

 

 

  Everyone had wondered what she was doing now. It was supposed to be their vacation and yet she decided to stay in her room for the past few days. A few of the units wanted to go to the beach in hopes of seeing her with much less clothing. She didn't even let anyone in. 

 

 

 

  The girl smiled in triumph at her handiwork, holding the garment in one hand and the headpiece in the other. She'd been particularly interested in the maid uniforms of Flora and Felicia even since she summoned them. So, she decided to make her own maid uniform. It wasn't an exact copy, she made a few adjustments. Heck, it wasn't even the standard black and white maid uniform. It was more of a soft lavender and white. Frills and ribbons were quite abundant in the design as well. But it was still practical enough to work in. 

 

 

  An idea came to her head. Perhaps she could go around pretending to be a new maid and see how long until her units figure it out. She wore the outfit and skipped to the quarters of Sharena. She knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. The door opened to reveal the Askrian princess with a pleasantly surprised expression. 

 

 

"Oh? Mari! What's with the sudden change of style?" 

 

The summoner placed a finger to her lips to shush her. "I want to see how long the Heroes are going to give me errands until they find out." 

 

The blonde grinned and nodded, "Alright but Alfonse is in a meeting now so he might not get the message until later." 

 

"That's fine. But could you tell Anna about this for me? I don't really want her to see me and try to make a profit out of this," Mari asked. She remembers the last time the redhead tried to get her into a bikini so that she could sell pictures of it. 

 

"Got it!" Sharena chirped and went off to pass the message. 

 

 

The girl smiled and went the other way. Takumi was her first ever summon. He really saved her and Anna when she first arrived in Askr. And although she had gotten stronger units since then, he still holds a special spot in her heart. He had been the first person that she could confide in and could understand her. Grinning, she knocked on his door, wondering how he'd react. 

 

 

The door opened and Takumi came out. He took one look at her and gave a confused look. 

 

"So is this why you needed Oboro to teach you how to tailor a dress?" He asked and to which she nodded, giggling. 

 

"I didn't want to bother Flora and Felicia by asking if they had a spare uniform so I made my own. I'm gonna go around posing as a new maid and see how long I can do it without anyone else recognizing me," she answered. 

 

"Well, you can count on me to help you," he replied. Her grin widened and she hugged him. 

 

"Thanks!" 

 

"Now get off. Maids don't just hug their masters," the prickly prince said. She got off of him, blushing in embarrassment. 

 

"S-Sorry.." 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

  To start off her maid duties, Mari went to the library and decided to arrange the books and dust the shelves. She spotted Leo sitting at a table, reading a history book on the world of Awakening. His eyebrows furrowed. Considering that he was pretty smart, she figured not to announce herself. Can't have him finding out already! 

 

 

  The summoner got past him easily. He may be a good tactician on the field but he tended to be a little oblivious with his habit of wearing his collar inside out. 

 

 

  She took a feather duster up and swatted away at the dust that collected on shelves. She tried not to cough nor sneeze too loudly. Now that she thought of it, perhaps doing the dusting was a bad idea. She already had a habit of sneezing a lot even without the dust. 

 

Unfortunately, her attempts were in vain as she sneezed 4 times in a row. 

 

A sigh was heard. 

 

 

"If you're going to sneeze, do it outside of the library," Leo said, looking up from his book. His eyes widened a bit to see someone new, "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?" 

 

 

Mari bit her lip, "Uh, yes, milord." 

 

He nodded, "I see... And your name?" 

 

"Mari... posa" She answered, hoping he'd buy it. There's already a Maribelle and Maria roaming in the barracks so her name isn't exactly unique. 

 

"I am Leo, Prince of Nohr," he said. She pretended to be surprised and bowed down. "No need for that. Just— If you need to do your chores, just don't be noisy. This is a library after all." 

 

"I'm sorry, milord! I just forgot I had allergies when I accepted the task of dusting the— CHOO!" She took out a handkerchief and placed it on her nose. 

 

"I see. Why don't you go make me tea instead? Surely you can't mess _that_ up, right?" He asked, turning a page. 

 

"Oh, I can do that! How would you like your tea, milord?" Mari asked. 

 

"Anything bitter." 

 

' _Typical_ ' she thought, internally snickering. "Right away, milord!" She chirped and skipped to the nearest kitchen. 

 

 

 

As she left, Takumi had walked in. He saw the summoner skipping away on his way in and figured Leo already knew. His thoughts halted when he saw the blond reading the Awakening book.

 

"Seriously? You're reading that again?" He raised his eyebrow. "What's with it that's got you so fixated on it?" 

 

"It's about this Owain person. He's completely identical to Odin. I've been trying to see if it says anything in here that confirms that he's him or if they have any connection to each other," Leo replied, furrowing his eyebrows as he turned another page. 

 

"Any luck so far?" 

 

He sighed, "None. However Prince Chrom seems rather naive. He just met a stranger on the ground with no memory and he made him tactician instead of taking him to a healer first. With his reasoning being that Robin fought with them to save the village." 

 

 

Takumi was going to reply when Mari came back with the tea. Her eyes met with his.

 

"And who are you?" He asked, pretending to be clueless. 

 

"This is Mariposa, a new maid," Leo said, taking the teacup in his fingers and took a sip. "Not bad." She smiled, relieved she did it right. 

 

"She kept sneezing when she was dusting the shelves so I just made her make some tea," he continued. The summoner bowed. 

 

"If you'll excuse me, I'll go rearrange the books," she said, smiling. Leo clicked his tongue in irritation. 

 

"Try not to sneeze all over the books. We need to use them after all," he muttered. She nodded then went back to the shelves. 

 

 

The summoner took out a clothespin from her pocket and placed it onto her nose to stop her from sneezing. She began to arrange the books while listening to the conversation of the two princes. 

 

"After seeing Robin in the bath, Chrom's supposed solution to him thinking about it nonstop is to take a bath?" Leo's words had been mocking towards the Ylissian prince. She could only snicker quietly. 

 

"Says the prince with an inside-out collar," Takumi commented as he went to find a history book. To which Leo flushed in embarrassment and fixed his collar. 

"She didn't tell me it was inside out," he muttered irritatedly. He sighed. "Mariposa?" 

 

She looked up. 

 

"Could you take these to their proper shelves? I need to fix my collar," he said and left the library. She smirked to herself. Takumi came back and sighed. 

 

 

"Weak, I messed with him more than you did," he said. She rolled her eyes. 

 

"The point of this isn't to mess with people," she said. She placed the books where they belong and stood up. "I suppose I'm done here. What to do now...?" 

 

"If it isn't to mess with people, then why are you doing this?" He asked, crossing his arms. 

 

Mari chuckled, "It's actually a nice change. Leo didn't know who I was and I was comfortable with my hood off around him. Back when I first came here, people kept staring at me and I felt uncomfortable. I hold such a high title, people tend to scrutinise me." 

 

He gazed at her for a moment, understanding what she meant. As a prince of Hoshido, he was always compared to his brother. He could never escape the eyes of the people so he trained nonstop to prove himself. Takumi sighed. 

 

"Alright, I'll support you then."


	2. Day 2: Chrom

  Mari grinned, "Thank you." Takumi just nodded and went to reading his book. She left the library and grabbed a broom to sweep the halls. She hummed that song that Azura and Shigure were always singing. Honestly, at this point, it's the only song she's ever sung since she arrived in Askr. 

 

 

  Her sweeping was interrupted when she heard the arrival of an outsider. She looked up to see Alex, a good friend of hers. He was a summoner from a different universe. It was still quite a surprise to see him. Usually, a unit would deliver greetings instead of the summoner. 

 

He gave her a confused look, "Mari? Why are you dressed like that?" She tensed and shushed him. 

 

"You'll blow my cover!" She whisper shouted. She pulled him into a broom closet. Once they were in there, the male summoner looked at her expectantly. She sighed. 

 

"I just wanted to see how long until my heroes will notice that it's actually me and that I'm not a new maid named Mariposa," she explained, shoulders slumped. He nodded. 

 

"Well, I just needed to deliver this since Sakura has the flu. Good luck with your game I guess," he said and handed her the hero feathers for that day. She grinned. 

 

"Thanks! Tell your wife I said hi!" She replied. He nodded again and made his way back to his universe. She peeked out of the closet to see if the coast was clear. 

 

 

"What are you up to this time?" Sakura asked, standing in front of the summoner. Unlike the Sakura that Alex has, this Sakura was a grim reaper. She's one of the other people that knows what she looked like as well and was a good friend. 

 

Mari nervously laughed, "Well... You see, I decided to make my own maid uniform and go around to see how long until the others notice it's me." 

 

Sakura just stared for a moment. Then she sighed, knowing just how many shenanigans the summoner gets herself into. "Let me follow you then in case something happens." 

 

She nodded, grinning. "Just make sure you're invisible since you always being around me can be a dead giveaway," she said. The reaper tended to follow her around, even someone like Chrom would notice this. They were both quite comfortable with each other after all. It was hard _not_ to notice. 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

"Hmm, who to go to next? Perhaps Chrom?" Mari muttered, pacing in her room. "I should probably avoid Xander since he's quite observant based on what I've read in his support conversations." 

 

"Chrom is a good idea. You should go with the more absent ones first," Sakura said. 

 

She nodded and grabbed her broom, "He's probably broken another vase by now." She made her way to the main hall again, Sakura following her closely. To her surprise Chrom actually hasn't broken a vase _yet_. He was swinging his Falchion around, practicing his muscle memory. 

 

 

 

That is, until a crash was heard. 

 

"Not again," he mumbled, bending down to pick up the shards. Mari rushed to stop him. 

 

"Milord! Please, let me do clean it up for you," she said. The blue haired prince shook his head. 

 

"No need, it was my fault," he replied, picking up the shards. He looked up and his eyes widened in curiosity. "Wait, I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?" 

 

She took the shards from him. "Mariposa. I'm a new maid so this is my job, milord," she answered. 

 

"Mariposa? Is that foreign?" He asked. There was an audible slap as Sakura’s palm connected to her forehead. Thankfully her cloaking also applied to sound as well, so Chrom was unaware.

 

"Uh, not exactly. The name is fairly common," Mari said, sweeping the shards into a plastic bag to toss into the trash. Perhaps they shouldn't put vases in the castle anymore. Reckless heroes tend to break them. 

 

Chrom nodded. He gave a nervous laugh, "Could you... keep this between us? I can't let the summoner know that I broke another vase." 

 

"Oh! Of course, milord! I'll have the vase replaced." She grinned, internally snickering. The reaper hovering behind them just stared. 

 

Chrom smiled back, “Excellent! I’ll make sure to pay you in return.” 

 

The oblivion of the Ylissian prince always made it so fun to mess with him. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mari here! So, big thanks to ExplodingCookie, writer of Watching Over Hoshido, for helping me out with this fic. His writing is amazing and he proofreads my fics. He’s also the one that came up with Reaper Sakura and said she could follow Summoner Mari around. My writing only looks good thanks to him. Anyway, uh, please leave comments because they give me life.


	3. Day Off 1: Conquest Ryoma

 Rays of sun danced through the curtains as morning came. The birds of Askr chirping near her windows. It was undoubtedly a lovely day, especially for someone like Mari. Mornings were her favorite time of the day after all. There was a certain air to mornings that she loved so much. She didn't know how to describe it.  
  
 She got up from the bed and made her way to the main hall where Feh should be perched with the gifts. The owl hooted cheerfully as she caressed its soft feathers. It moved out of the way to let the summoner collect the orbs for that day. She planted a small kiss onto the owl's head.  
  
"Thank you, Feh," Mari said and made her way to the mess hall. She usually woke up earlier than most of her units and no, she didn't stay up the entire night. This time, at least.  
  
 So first thing's first, she had to make breakfast for her main team and her training team. The main team was the team she used for almost everything. Training team was the team that consisted of heroes that she's— well, training. Normally she'd leave this for units that are actually used to cooking but she wanted to do something nice for her teams.  
  
A familiar pink haired reaper walked in as she was cooking some eggs. She didn't consider herself first class chef good at cooking but she can definitely say that her cooking was surprisingly good. After all, she took care of herself and her brother when she was still alive. She looked up to see the reaper.  
  
"Good morning, Sakura. Would you like your eggs sunny side up or scrambled?" Mari asked.  
  
She just shook her head, "Reapers don't eat."  
  
The summoner was about to ask her to elaborate but unfortunately, Sakura had to escort another soul. So she left.  
  
She sighed and continued her cooking. Considering she didn't know what kind of egg her heroes liked exactly, she just made batches of each. After cooking the eggs, she went on to cook some bacon while at the same time cooking pancakes. Once she finished, she began to set everything up on the tables, humming to herself.  
  
"Good morning Mari," Xander's voice came as he entered with Veronica closely following. Their eyes widened to see their summoner.  
  
"This smells really good," Veronica commented, taking a seat. She looked at Mari as she placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. "Thank you."  
  
"Indeed," Xander said, sitting beside his basically adopted daughter. "But you needn't do this for us, little summoner."  
  
'Goddammit, Xander.' she thought, trying not to blush. She'd tell him to stop using that nickname but it's gonna be awkward having to explain to him what it does to her. But at the same time, she never wants him to stop. Why did she have to be so thirsty?  
  
"I wanted to do something for you guys," Mari grinned. "After all, you guys are the ones who do the most work around here. And I thought this was the least I could do."

 

"That doesn't mean you have to burn your fingers to cook for us. You could've at least asked for help," the Nohrian prince replied, a stern expression on his features.  
  
Shit, he noticed. She bit her lip and shook her head, "It was too early and no one was awake. I didn't want to wake anyone up."  
  
"Nonsense, I'm sure one of the maids would've been happy to help," he took a bite. Ryoma, the dancer version, walked in. He caught a whiff of the food the summoner cooked up. His eyes lit up.  
  
"Did you make all this for us?" He asked, smiling. She nodded happily.  
  
"It tastes great," Veronica said, continuing to eat her pancakes. She looked over at her and motioned to her the burnt fingers. Mari did and she held up her staff to heal them. "Xander is still right. You need your fingers to summon after all."  
  
The summoner huffed, nodding. She sat down and ate once the others joined them. Overall, her breakfast was a success. Everyone seemed to like her cooking. But even if she was happy for them, she couldn't help but think back on Sakura's words.  
  
  
  


  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  
  
  
  


 

 Mari made her way to the summoning ruins. She had enough orbs to do a yolo pull. She'd been engaging in conversation with Sakura while doing so.  
  
"So you haven't eaten anything ever since you died?"  
  
"Mhm."  
  
Mari turned to her, confused. "Then how did you hide your identity from your siblings?" she asked, taking a red orb in hand. Its cool surface felt nice.  
  
"Every spoonful that I put in my mouth just turns invisible," the reaper replied.

 

She bit her lip, “Darn, that actually sounds… Well, sad.”

 

Sakura could only shrug. “I’d say I’m more surprised that none of my siblings noticed the entire time,” she said. “That is, if I could feel emotion.”

 

Mari placed the red orb into the chamber. She took a moment to marvel at how smooth Breidablik felt in her hand, as if it belonged there. She aimed it at the stone with the tree engraved onto it. Then, she fired.

 

“However, I have noticed that Ryoma can still be rather cluele—”

 

The fog cleared and a tall man clad in striking red armor appeared. The summoner’s eyes lit up and she shut her mouth in hopes of preventing herself from drooling just from the sight of him.

 

“Damn Sakura! That’s him, right? He’s hot!” She exclaimed, grinning widely. She glanced at the reaper only to see that her composure was completely different.

 

‘Wow, she just changed personality almost as fast as I thirsted over him.’ she thought, raising her eyebrow. She turned back to the confused prince.

 

“Oh! Um, hello! I’m Mari and I’m the one that summoned you here. Sakura and Takumi have told me much about you,” she said eagerly.

 

“I am Ryoma, High Prince of Hoshido—” he cut himself off when he noticed Sakura, dressed in dark clothes that he was not familiar with his sister ever wearing. “Sakura? What’s with the Halloween costume?” He asked.

 

The air turned significantly colder as the reaper’s body froze up and she looked above Ryoma’s head. Mari glanced between the both of them, stepping back. She realised what this meant. However, this was an issue between family so she doesn’t feel like she should intervene.

 

“I need to go,” Sakura excused herself before leaving.

 

The summoner bit her lip. ‘I suppose they’ll settle this in private.’ she thought. Ryoma looked back at her with a confused expression.

 

“Did I say something wrong?” He asked, concerned for his sister.

 

Mari shook her head. She put on a light smile. “She has some work to do, tending to the wounded and what not. After all, she’s one of the healers, and one of our most talented ones,” she answered. “Perhaps a tour around the castle would help pass the time until she’s free again?”

 

He stared at her, eyebrows furrowed. He nodded and followed her.

  
  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  
  


Mari showed him around, introducing him to heroes that they passed by. She already showed him the mess hall, main hall, equipment room, and the library. She figured that she shouldn’t show him the infirmary first or else she’s gonna get busted.

 

What was left for her to show him was the training grounds. She grinned eagerly, opening the door.

 

Her grin fell when she saw who was inside.

 

“Sakura, are you sure nothing is troubling you? You look more distressed than usual,” Xander said, genuinely concerned for the reaper.

 

“I—”

 

Before she could reply, Ryoma had rushed in. His hand on his Raijinto. His eyes flaring in rage. He unsheathed it, lightning crackling through the blade.

 

“Is this the reason my sister wears a black cloak? You Nohrian filth already brainwashed Corrin, and now Sakura too?” His voice boomed across the room, the other units that had been training had stepped back at the show of conflict.

 

Xander’s eyebrows furrowed in confused. “Prince Ryoma, I don’t understand. What black cloak?” He asked, reaching for Siegfried. He could probably tank one hit from the Hoshidan prince thanks to his high defense, a fully upgraded close def seal, and S supported by Mari.

 

Ryoma growled, “Lying mongrel! the cloak that she—”

 

He turned to the spot that Sakura was supposedly in, only to find black smoke in her place. The other prince didn’t seem to notice the smoke, only the fact that she was gone.

 

“Ryoma, please, this isn’t the same Xander that you know,” Mari said, getting in between them. She stared at him sternly. He looked at her confusedly. She sighed, “He comes from a different timeline. One where Hoshido and Nohr get to have a peaceful future.”

 

He looked between the two of them and huffed, sheathing his sword. “My apologies,” he said and left the training grounds in hopes of finding his sister.

 

It wasn’t long until he found her. She had been breathing in and out audibly, trying to compose herself once more.

 

“Sakura!” Ryoma called out to her. “Please, you can tell me what’s wrong. I’m here for y—”

 

“Ryoma, you’re dead.” Plain and simple. She stared at him with cold, unfeeling eyes.

 

His eyebrows furrowed, “How do you—”

 

“I’m a reaper,” she said. “I know these things. I just ask that you don’t talk about this to the living.”

 

“But how is this possible?” The prince asked. “And how can I tell if someone is dead?”

 

“I’ll tell you later. But for now, you can freely talk to Mari about this. She’s also dead,” Sakura answered before teleporting away again.

 

He sighed, looking down.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  


“Summoner,” Ryoma called out for her. She looked up in question. “I’d like to speak with you, in private.”

 

Mari nodded. She stood up, excusing herself from Alfonse and followed him to the gardens. “So what exactly did you want? Are you comfortable here?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

He shook his head. “I wanted to ask about Sakura. Why is she like that? I’ve known her for her entire life and now I find out that she’s a reaper,” he said.

 

She looked at him sympathetically. “Well, first of all, you have to be patient with her. She’s usually colder to the people she knows are dead since she has no reason to keep up her shy act, that included me,” she replied.

 

He pursed his lips, “I see…”

 

“Now we’re quite close to each other. She’s very dear to me and I know she feels the same way,” she added, smiling fondly at the memory. She turned to him.

 

“It’s also hard for her to deal with emotions since reapers usually don’t have any. And yet somehow she managed to be the first one to feel them,” she said.

 

He looked back at her, unsure of how to feel. “Sakura told me it was okay to talk to you because you’re dead,” he paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing. “But what does being dead mean? Why are we both here if we’re dead?”

 

Before Mari could reply, Xander approached them. She turned to him instead, eyeing him curiously.

 

The Nohrian prince nodded at her, “Little summoner, an Emblian fleet has started attacking a village to the south. We must take action immediately.”

 

Her eyes widened and she nodded back in understanding. She glanced at Ryoma. “I’ll talk to you later but for now please keep training. Maybe I’ll tell you more if you progress fast enough,” she said and followed the blond, leaving him behind.

 

He could only watch, lost in his thoughts. So she’ll give him answers if he trained hard? That can be arranged. He walked to the training grounds and looked for a sparring partner. Perhaps Chrom would be good, he’s seen his style of swordsmanship and wanted to try his hand at fighting him. Fortunately the Ylissian prince agreed to it.

 

Although, while training, he could never get all his questions out of his head for a moment. The questions only grew when he looked at the summoner herself, dressed in a white cloak and hid her appearance to everyone. _Who was she?_


	4. Day 3: Ryoma

Early in the morning, Mari got up and donned her maid uniform. Peeking out her door to see if anyone was outside to possibly witness her going out. Fortunately, there was no one so she sneaked out of her room.

 

She would’ve reached the Mess Hall undetected when she ran into Flora. Her body tensed.

 

The Nohrian maid looked at her, curiosity in her eyes. “Oh? I haven’t seen you before. Are you new?” She asked.

 

Mari nodded, trying to look like she wasn’t hiding anything. “Y-Yes,” she replied. _“God dammit, you idiot.”_ She mentally scolded herself. _“You just stuttered and she’ll probably figure you out soon.”_

 

She tilted her head in confusion. “But your uniform doesn’t match mine or the Askrian maids,” she said.

 

The summoner bit her lip. She really should’ve minded the Askrian maid uniform when she sewed up this one. “I— um, it was a gift from the summoner!” She bit her lip, “I thought it would’ve been rude to refuse such a nice gift, especially since she seemed to work really hard on it.”

 

Her mouth gaped in awe. “The summoner made your uniform?” She asked, “That’s very nice of her! And the handiwork looks very good.”

 

She nodded, smiling. Hopefully the nervousness won’t be noticed. “S-So, uh, I need to go clean up Mess Hall. Please e-excuse me!” She said and ran off.

 

The blue-haired maid looked at her retreating figure, confused. Why did she seem so familiar? Has she met her before somewhere? She sighed and went to complete other tasks.

 

Mari reached the Mess Hall, thankfully not running into more people on the way. Everyone should’ve finished eating breakfast now. Usually they’d all be training at this time.

 

She was surprised to see Ryoma of all people still eating breakfast.

 

“Lord Ryoma? What are you still doing here?” She asked, curious.

 

He looked up at her. His eyes squinting, “My apologies, but who are you? And how do you know my name?”

 

She tensed but gave him a smile. “Oh! Uh… The summoner was so happy about summoning you the other day. She talked about you the entire time I was getting her ready for the day,” she answered, “I’m Mariposa, the summoner’s personal maid.”

 

The Hoshidan prince nodded, he glanced at his food. “I wasn’t able to sleep early last night because of some… issues,” he said.

 

The summoner kept quiet for a moment, thinking of what to do. She figured she’d be more convincing if she asked. So she did, “P-Pardon my intrusion, milord! But, uh, what issues were you facing? I’d be happy to help!”

 

He shook his head, “No, I shouldn’t… I’m sure you’re already busy.”

 

She smiled lightly. “It’s fine! Helping milord is more important than a small task,” she replied.

 

He sighed. He could probably just vaguely tell her. “I’m having trouble communicating with my sister, Sakura,” he said. “She keeps running from me and she’s cold.”

 

She pretended to look surprised. She hoped he bought it. “You too? She treats me the same way!” She said, “But she did explain to me why so I figured I’d give her space.”

 

His eyes widened and turned to her. “You’re dead?” He asked.

 

She nodded.

 

“Well, I’m glad to have found someone else to talk to,” he said, “But I’m not sure what to do with her. The summoner, who’s also dead, told me that she treats everyone dead this way and that I should be patient with her.”

 

She tilted her head. “Well, I believe she’ll warm up to you, Lord Ryoma! You seem like the type of person that people can always rely on,” she chirped.

 

He smiled lightly. “Thank you, Mariposa,” he replied. His heart seemed to flutter at that. He didn’t understand why exactly.

 

“No, thank you, milord. I’m glad you shared this with me despite being a mere maid,” Mari said, grinning back. “And if you need someone to talk to, I’m always happy to help!”

 

“Nonsense, all of us are Heroes in this place. Whoever you were in your world doesn’t matter here,” Ryoma nodded, “And likewise on that offer. I’d like to repay you for your help. And please, call me Ryoma.”

 

She bowed and excused herself, “Ah, let me clean up this place. I won’t keep you from your training.” She picked up his plate since he was finished. She was about to get up when he stopped her.

 

“Why don’t you train with me once you’re finished cleaning up here?” He asked.

 

Mari froze, she looked up nervously. “I— Uh, are you sure? I’m only the summoner’s personal maid, I can’t really fight,” she replied.

 

“I can teach you how,” Ryoma said. He couldn’t explain why but he felt at ease around her.

 

She bit her lip, trying not to crack under pressure. “S-Surely you would rather have a more challenging partner for training,” she said.

 

He shook his head, “Think of it as my way of repaying you for the help.”

 

The summoner considered it. She’ll look suspicious if she demonstrates that she can’t fight but she’ll also look suspicious if she keeps refusing. She nodded slowly, “A-Alright… But I’m sorry if I keep you from your own training.”

 

“I’ll be waiting for you on the training grounds,” he bid her goodbye and left.

 

She started hyperventilating.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  


The walk to the training grounds was unnerving. Nobody was around, Sakura was busy reaping souls, she couldn’t find any comfort. Since when did the hallways feel longer? She swore that the paintings on the wall were mocking her.

 

She finally reached the area and opened the door, only to find Ryoma and Xander sparring each other. Things just seem be getting worse for her. The one fortunate thing is that Ryoma didn’t seem to bear any anger towards Xander or vice versa. So at least she didn’t have to break up a fight.

 

The girl just stood there, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

 

Eventually the two princes finished the spar.

 

“Thank you for sparring with me, Prince Xander. I apologize for my behavior yesterday, I wasn’t in the right mind,” Ryoma said.

 

Xander nodded, “You were an excellent sparring partner.”

 

They turned to see the summoner.

 

“Ah, Mariposa! Have you been waiting long?” The Hoshidan asked.

 

She shook her head, smiling sheepishly. “N-No, I just got here,” she said. It was difficult not cracking under the pressure.

 

She glanced at Xander to find him gazing her down. Mari knew him long enough to know that he had the slightest glint of mischievousness in his eyes. Oh dear, god save her now.


	5. Day Off 2: Venomkura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um, Cookie and I made another Sakura AU.

Mari groaned. Her body was completely sore. Ryoma was quite the effective teacher, however she was very out of shape. 

 

Ryoma looked up from his breakfast. “What’s the matter, Summoner?” He asked, a slight bit of concern in his features. Although his mind seemed more preoccupied by the maid from yesterday. Hopefully he’ll get to see her again today. It was nice teaching her how to fight using a sword. 

 

She sighed, “Mariposa was so fatigued yesterday that I spent all night patching her up.” 

 

He tensed. “My sincerest apologies, I did not know that she would get so worn out,” he replied. 

 

“I just gave her the day off,” she said, “Maybe go a bit easier on her next time.” 

 

Ryoma nodded. “Is it alright if I visit her quarters?” 

 

The summoner shook her head. “I told her to sleep for the whole day.” 

 

It dampened his mood a little. He was really hoping to see the sweet maid. “Then shall I assist you throughout the day? It was my doing that made you like this.” 

 

Mari already felt tired all the time, this was no big deal. However, she did want to spend time with him. He must be having a hard time with Reaperkura. She nodded and they continued eating. 

  
  


 

* * *

  
  
  
  


Meanwhile, Xander managed to find Sakura, staring up at the sky in a secluded area. He called out to her, “Princess Sakura, I’ve been meaning to ask you for help.” 

 

The pink haired reaper looked up, putting on her shy act again. “P-Prince Xander, what do you need?” She asked. 

 

“It’s about Mari. Did you know that she was pretending to be a maid?” 

 

She nodded, “S-She—Uh, told me after she started doing it.”

 

His eyebrows furrowed. “And she couldn’t tell me?” 

 

She wanted to roll her eyes. But her shy facade remained, “I-I don’t really know why…” 

 

Xander glanced out the window. “I… I’m fairly certain that she loves me,” he said. 

 

“ _ You don’t say. _ ” Sakura quipped mentally as she nodded, looking up with innocent eyes. “How do you know?” She asked. 

 

“Well, she puts more dedication into helping me succeed, she invests most of her resources into making me stronger.” He replied, his gaze softening as he thought of her. “I’m one of the units that has been with her for the longest time. I would expect that she’d tell me, especially after saying that she trusted me.” 

 

It was hard holding her tongue from making any smart remarks out loud. She didn’t like this, at all. This is why she liked being around Mari. She could be comfortable and not have to put up appearances. “I-I’m sure she ha-as her r-reasons,” she stuttered, that might’ve been excessive. Hopefully he didn’t notice. 

 

“I suppose she must be stressed from the war. I’ll see to it that I ask her later,” Xander said, “Thank you for your help, Princess Sakura.” 

 

And off he went. 

 

Once he was completely gone, Sakura sighed to herself. “For someone so eager to play matchmaker with Alex and my other self, Mari is quite dense. So is Xander.” With that, she made her way to her room. Duty calls. 

  
  
  


* * *

 

 

Mari looked into her pouch of orbs, humming. There was about 25 orbs. Usually, she’d try to keep her orb count above 20 just in case a new exciting banner comes up. But it seems that she wasn’t interested in the new heroes. It was safe to say that she could summon now and then for this week. She could save a little for a hero that she’d actually want. 

 

Ryoma stood beside her, observing her actions. It was strange, to say the least. Being able to summon heroes from across the worlds to have them fight for you. He did acknowledge that this sort of power was one that shouldn’t be put in the wrong hands. He has heard of the Great Summoner being from a world completely different. Her presence felt so soft yet she could manage her barracks quite well despite the inexperience. 

 

She exchanged five orbs for one summon and then was given 5 orbs to choose from. There were three blues, one red, and one colorless. She thought about it for a moment. She was kinda running short on colorless units, excluding healers. If she could get Kinshi Knight Hinoka then that’d be great because then she’d have all the Hoshidan royals. She picked up the colorless orb and loaded it into the chamber, aiming it towards the Yggdrasil stone. 

 

The Lob— Hoshidan prince watched intently as she pulled the trigger. A surge of light circles by rainbows filled their sights. He was somewhat stunned by a massive light show. So this is what she experiences every time she summons? 

 

The mist dissipated and the light cleared to reveal a small figure in a black cloak holding a Martyr+ staff. Black nails peeked out from under her sleeves. Their face was hidden. 

 

That is, until they spoke up, “M-My name is Sakura, I’m just a wandering healer with a, uh, friend.” 

 

Ryoma’s eyes widened to the size of the saucers that Felicia constantly breaks. “S-Sakura? What is the meaning of this? You’re a princess of Hoshido, not a wandering healer!” he said. Why were all his sisters here both in black? 

 

The pink haired healer looked up. Her expression turned into one of deep sorrow at the sight of him. The lower half of her face was covered by a cloth so all they could see was the grief in her eyes. “But… Ryoma, I was kicked out of Shirasagi. I’m not a princess of Hoshido anymore.” 

 

Ryoma’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Anger was starting to bubble up inside him. Mari covered her mouth, confused. This was probably a matter that she shouldn’t interfere with. 

 

“How could this be? Why would the Ryoma of your world do this?” He demanded for an answer. 

 

Sakura was going to reply but then she started mumbling to herself, “I know you’re hungry but no, you can’t eat him. No, you can’t eat the lady in the white cloak either.” 

 

“Who are you talking to?” The prince asked. 

 

Before she could answer, this black tar-like goo engulfed her entire body. She grew about 4 feet taller. Her head was covered by this familiar face. 

 

Ryoma didn’t know what to say. He felt horrified at the sight. What was that… thing? 

 

The creature interrupted him, “Don’t pretend like you care!” It snarled. “You didn’t care about her when you told her retainers to kick her out of her own home! You’re lucky that she doesn’t hold a grudge or else we would’ve mauled you ourselves!” 

 

Mari spoke up, knowing she’s gonna have to interfere, “This isn’t the same Ryoma that you’re talking about!” Their attention was on her now. Dear Naga, help her now. “Look, I’m sorry that this happened to you but it’s not fair to threaten this Ryoma because he comes from another timeline.” 

 

It stared at her for a moment. She could look at it more intently. It… It’s Venom. She honestly couldn’t believe it, thinking she might’ve fallen asleep during breakfast and dreamt this. However, it was threatening Ryoma so she had to do something. 

 

It huffed rather… childishly? 

 

“Fine, but we are very hungry,” it said. “We need heads.” 

 

Mari nodded and motioned to the Askrian castle, “Then follow me! We have a training tower that has an infinite amount of heads to chomp!” 

 

The two left the summoning ruins, leaving Ryoma in his confusion and guilt. The summoner turned back to look at him, her expression was sympathetic. She’ll see to it that she helps both of them after this. 


	6. Christmas Special!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I am so flustered and this is the longest piece that I have ever written. Also uh, very seld indulgent.

The night was beautiful. Mari stared out into the mountains covered in snow, all shimmering under the moonlight. It looked like it was from a painting. She sighed, pulling down her hood. This was probably the first time she has ever experienced snow. She would watch television shows during Christmas as a child and would be so jealous of the children that got to play with snow. 

 

Admittedly it was probably her own fault for going outside at night when it’s extremely cold. She shivered. 

 

“You know, your cover will be blown if someone else caught you here,” the sound of Sakura’s exasperated voice came from behind her. The reaper wasn’t much for parties, however, someone needed to watch over Mari. She looked at her friend who was visibly cold. “Just come back inside already. The children are looking all over for you to read them a story.” 

 

The summoner blinked. Oh, right. She nodded and pulled her hood back up, covering her face. “Alright, alright. I’m going,” she replied. She followed Sakura back into the main ballroom. 

 

“Children!” She called out for them, finally making it to the main ballroom where the Christmas Ball was being held. All the heroes were there and just doing whatever. Some were giving gifts, some were dancing, others were eating, and the children were playing tag. 

 

They looked up and spotted her. Their eyes lit up and rushed to her. 

 

“Mari! We’ve been looking all over for you!” Nowi whined. 

 

“Can you finally tell us the special Christmas story you have planned?” Morgan asked eagerly. 

 

Mari nodded, smiling. “Let’s go to the fireplace to get cozy. You can all get cups of hot cocoa while I prepare my storybooks and tome,” she said. 

 

They nodded and went off to grab their stuff. 

 

“Last one to Mari is a rotten egg!” 

“Hey!” 

 

She looked around to find the other Sakura, or Venomkura since it’s Venom and Sakura together, eating away at all the food. The alien had such an appetite but they did compliment her on her baking so she’s happy. 

 

There was Takumi talking to Oboro and Hinata, he saw her and nodded in greeting. She waved at him, grinning. 

 

She spotted Xander talking to Camilla. She bit her lip. She didn’t know why but he’s been a little distant lately as if he’s been bothered by something. She’s worried that she made him upset. She sighed and left the ballroom. 

 

Reaperkura looked at her best friend, observing her face.

 

“You’re… upset,” she said, uncertainty in her voice. She was still getting used to having emotions. 

 

“Ah, you’re getting better at this,” Mari smiled. She sighed for the umpteenth time that night and nodded, “Yeah… I just feel like I did something wrong.” 

 

Reaperkura recalled her conversation with Xander the other day. He was rather upset that Mari didn’t tell him about this. 

 

_ “I suppose she must be stressed from the war. I’ll see to it that I ask her later,” Xander said, “Thank you for your help, Princess Sakura.”  _

 

_ And off he went.  _

 

It seems that Xander hasn’t asked her yet. Nor have they really communicated on this yet. How troublesome. She still wondered why the fuck couldn’t they just talk to each other. 

 

Mari finally got to her room and picked up the storybook and her tome. She smiled and made her way to the living room where the fireplace was. All the children were waiting eagerly for her and cheered when they saw her come in. 

 

“Are you all ready?” She asked, grinning. 

 

“Yes!” They all cheered. 

 

The summoner chuckled and sat down, using magic from her tome to make the fire a little stronger. The room had a nice orange tint to it, a warm glow despite the weather. The children had snuggled up into their blankets, staring at her. 

 

She opened up her storybook and looked down at the story. 

 

“Let me tell you the story of the Nutcracker.” 

 

With a wave of her hand, the light from the fire formed a man. 

 

“Once upon a time, there was a toy-maker named Drosselmeyer. He gave four dancing dolls as presents to his children for the Christmas Eve party,” she said. Music began to play. 

 

The light formed the four dolls. They twirled around the room, dancing gracefully. Each doll had a different style. One was a jester, one was a ballerina, one was an Arabian dancer, and the last was a circus dancer. 

 

“He had a special surprise for his daughter, Clara. He made a nutcracker for her.” 

 

The light changed from four dancing dolls to a nutcracker, it marched back and forth. Clara picked up the nutcracker and danced with it happily. 

 

“But then, her brother Fritz got jealous because he wanted to play with the nutcracker too. They fought over it and ended up breaking the nutcracker.” 

 

It showed Clara and Fritz pulling on the nutcracker like it was tug of war. They fell on their butts and both had a piece of it. Fritz had the head, Clara had the body. Upset, she started crying over her broken toy. 

 

Drosselmeyer came and scolded Fritz, then fixed the nutcracker. He patted her head and gave her back the toy. 

 

“So, she was happy again. The party ended and everyone went to bed.” Mari looked back at the children to see how they’re doing. They seemed really amazed by her light show. “However, Clara tiptoed back downstairs. She needed to be certain that the nutcracker was resting quietly.” 

 

Clara snuck down the stairs and was going to the doll bed, but then mice started to surround her. The room around her looked like it was growing bigger. 

 

“The nutcracker sprung into action and helped her! He took out his trusty sword and protected Clara with all his might,” Mari said. 

 

All the children “Oooohh”d at the nutcracker as it slashed at the mice soldiers. But then a new character arrived, the Mouse King. The King had started clashing swords with the nutcracker, making the children either nervous or cheer on the nutcracker. 

 

“C’mon! You can do it!” 

 

Mari chuckled. Looks like she was really immersing them. “Seeing the Mouse King had the advantage over the nutcracker, Clara took out her slipper and threw it at his head. While the Mouse King was distracted, the nutcracker took the opportunity to defeat him.” 

 

The nutcracker slashed through the Mouse King, killing him. After that, magic circled the nutcracker and it transformed into a handsome prince. 

 

“Yay!” The children cheered for the victory. Tiki even scooted closer. 

 

The scenery changed and a land of sweets was displayed. 

 

“A beautiful fairy queen named the Sugar Plum Fairy welcomed the Nutcracker and Clara into the Land of Sweets where they were commended for their victory against the mouse king. She orders her subjects to dance for them. ”

 

The scene showed everyone dancing to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. There was a big feast and all were happy. The light began to fade. 

 

“And then they lived happily ever after,” Mari closed the book and looked at her audience. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. But Morgan spoke up in curiosity, 

 

“But what happened to Drosselmeyer and Fritz and the rest of her family?” 

 

Mari tilted her head in thought. “The book didn’t exactly say but since it said Happily Ever After, I figure that they decided to let the family live with them in the Land of Sweets too!” 

 

Morgan nodded, smiling. “Oh, alright!” 

 

“Thanks for the story, Ri-Ri!” Tiki chirped. She ran up and hugged her, followed by the other children. 

 

“Are you going to read us a story tomorrow evening?” Kana asked, looking at her eagerly. 

 

She nodded, making the children cheer. “Now go to bed, everyone. The earlier you wake up, the earlier I can read my next story to you all,” she said. 

 

They agreed and ran off. 

 

Mari sighed, satisfied with her work, and sat down. As she picked up her stuff, a certain Nohrian prince had approached her. His steps light, not wanting to disturb her. The fire crackled from the fireplace.  

 

“Mari? I’d like to speak with you,” he voiced. 

 

She inwardly gulped before looking up curiously. “Y-Yeah..?” She asked, gripping her books. 

 

“I know you’re Mariposa,” He asked, frowning. “I thought you would trust me enough to not tell anyone about your game. Why didn’t you tell me?” 

 

Her heart dropped to her stomach. “U-Uh… Well, I didn’t want to tell anyone who didn’t know what I looked like sooner, so I kinda just told the ones who already knew,” she replied. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way, Xander. I was just scared that you would… be put off by how I really look.” 

 

The prince was taken aback by this. “I… What makes you say that?” He asked. 

 

“Well, as the Legendary Summoner, people don’t really know what I look like and they hold me to such a standard. I don’t want to disappoint them… I already did that to my family,” Mari sighed. “They all probably think of me as this ethereal looking fair skinned lady. At least as a maid, I’m not held to the same standard.” 

 

He looked down at her, his hand moved to pull down her hood. She flinched but he placed his forefinger under her chin to make her look at him. He had such a gentle and understanding expression and it gave her a sense of comfort. It felt so refreshing, back in her world her own family couldn’t even let her feel comfortable. 

 

“You think that, but… You look much better than that description,” He said, barely a whisper as if any louder and she’d be scared away. 

 

She blushed, face heating up. “Xander—“ 

 

“Despite everything that has happened to you, your appearance still gives off such a pure atmosphere,” he went on, “Your eyes, they shine like no other.” 

 

If she was blushing already m, her face was red now. She was definitely not used to compliments like these, especially back where she was from. Her entire body felt warm. 

 

He held her cheek in his hand, rubbing it gently and marveling at how soft and smooth they are. It felt like a baby’s. He closed his eyes and exhaled. 

 

“I was just… upset that Prince Ryoma has seen your true face before I have.” 

 

It was his turn to blush in embarrassment. He was a prince, he shouldn’t be feeling such petty emotions. And yet she made him feel this way. 

 

Mari was having trouble looking directly at him so her eyes kept darting to other places. That is, until she looked up. 

 

Oh no. 

 

Maybe she can just brush it off, ignore it, just don’t let him se— 

 

His eyes followed to where she was looking. He noticed her eyes became nervous so he looked up. 

 

“O-Oh,” he expressed, “You don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable with it.” Knowing her, she might be scared away if he came on too strongly. And he was already making her this flustered, which he did think was cute but he worried whether or not she was comfortable with this. 

 

She shook her head, feeling her heart shoot out the roof. “I-I’m fine with it, really,” she replied, cheeks still red. 

 

Xander was shocked once again but he nodded. “Then close your eyes, sweet summoner,” he smiled. 

 

She obliged and her eyes shut, waiting. 

 

He took one last look at her flustered face, sighing dreamily. She was just so… cute. He closed his eyes and leaned in, slowly. Closer, and closer, until their lips met. 

 

The kiss was short and sweet. Mari felt her troubles melt away at least for that very moment. It all felt so right, like this was meant to be. Oh goodness, she noted just how cheesy she sounded. 

 

They gazed into each other’s eyes, until the realisation set in. 

 

“That was my first kiss.” 


	7. Day 4: Corrin

Mari gripped her washcloth as she ran it over the floor. The Christmas Ball last night definitely left a lot to be cleaned up, especially since Felicia may have accidentally dropped another few dozen plates. The shards were being picked up by Flora and Jakob so she washed the floors for them. A few items were left here and there, mostly by the children since they were eagerly rushing to hear the story from her. They were going to deliver it back to the owners when they were finished cleaning up. 

 

However both their bags got full, shards of glasses clinking together inside. So they had to throw it away and get a new bag. As she kneeled there alone, her mind drifted back to last night. It really was a night to remember. She stared down onto the shiny surface of where she had previously cleaned. Her reflection stared right back at her as she reached to touch her lips where they’d been kissed. 

 

Her kiss with Xander under the mistletoe was such an experience, especially as her first. 

 

“Oh goodness, I didn’t know that!” Shock and shame etched onto his features when she told him. There was a reason she looked mortified when she saw the mistletoe and he believed that she didn’t want her first kiss to be like this. 

“I deeply apologize for forcing you into—“ 

 

“Xander, no! I was the one that wanted this!” She cut him off. She bit her lip and looked down, flustered. “I… enjoyed it.” 

 

He looked back at her, expression unreadable. But then a hint of a smile appeared and he nodded, holding onto her cheek tenderly. 

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Corrin walking in and asking, 

“Uh, hello? I think Azura left her tome her somewhe—“ 

 

“LADY CORRIN, WAIT!” She tried to stop her but the dream princess’ bare feet ended up stepping on the glass shards that weren’t cleaned up yet. 

 

The poor girl shrieked in pain and winced, feeling the glass cut into her pale milky feet. 

 

Mari sprang up and rushed towards her, “Lady Corrin! I am so so sorry!” She picked up from the pile of glass shards and carried her to the infirmary in a rush. 

 

She placed her down onto a bed and grabbed tweezers and a staff. She sat down in front of her and looked up at her feet. 

 

Corrin still winced at the pain. She could feel the glass stinging her skin. She looked back at “Mariposa” helping her treat her wounds. 

 

“I am so so sorry, Lady Corrin,” Mari apologised again, “I was so busy daydreaming that I didn’t notice you earlier. I could’ve prevented this.” She picked the shards off the left foot and inspected it further. 

 

“Oh no, you don’t need to be sorry!” The princess shook her head, trying not to jerk her foot too much. “I was being careless and I wasn’t watching where I was going.” 

 

Mari kept quiet, mostly because she was focusing on the shards. She didn’t want to mess up again and make a shard dig into her foot any further. 

 

Gods, her hands were shaking too much. She stopped for a moment and breathed, getting back to it. She picked off the shards on the right foot. She realised that she had to be quick or else Jakob is gonna find out and give her a lifetime of sermons. She remembered that Corrin was looking for something. 

 

“Oh, you said you were looking for Azura’s tome, right?” She looked up. All the glass shards were off and now she just had to heal her up with a staff. Fortunately Veronica taught her to use a staff just in case she decides to cook breakfast again and get her hands burnt. 

 

The dream princess nodded, waiting for her feet to be healed. “Yes, she was looking for it and I recalled that she left it in the ballroom.” 

 

She lifted the staff, focused her energy and pointed it toward her feet. The wounds healed up and the blood dissipated. 

 

Corrin looked down at her feet. “Oh! Feels good as new!” She smiled, “Thank you for the help, Mariposa.” 

 

The “maid” dwindled her fingers shyly. “It’s just my job, Lady Corrin. I’m happy you’re alright now,” she said. “I would recommend that you let your feet rest for a moment and I can fetch the tome for you after I finish cleaning up.” 

 

The princess nodded, “Alright.” She lifted her legs up and placed them on the bed then laid down to take a nap. Considering that she was one of the Summoner’s most used heroes, she was pretty strong enough to not need much training for a while. Mari also invested some nice skills and an Atk/Def Bond seal for her since she just thought she was really fucking pretty. 

 

Mari went back to the ballroom to finish up her work and retrieve the tome. 

  
  


* * *

 

 

Meanwhile, Takumi was in the Training Tower with their newest addition, Venomkura. Also with him were Azura, Shigure, and Hoshidan Summer Ryoma. To say the least, most of them were horrified to see this version of their sweet younger sister who wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

 

However, they felt shame when they were told of her timeline and how her family disowned her. Ryoma looked at his sister in concern and guilt. 

 

“I… still find it hard to believe that we abandoned her like that,” he said, sitting at a table in the Mess Hall. They had taken a break since they ran out of stamina to dance and let her train. He took a sip out of his cup.

 

Azura nodded, “I know how it feels to be alone. She must’ve felt so betrayed when we did that in her timeline.” 

 

Takumi huffed. “Symbiote or not, she’s still our sister. What even happened that the versions of us in that timeline couldn’t just take her back?” 

 

“It must’ve been a royal edict.” Ryoma looked down at his bowl of miso soup that his younger brother had made for them because— Well, Venom was eating everything else. God, its appetite goes beyond comprehension. “Even if we did want to have her back, royal edicts are permanent.” 

 

“So… All the us came to a unanimous decision?” Takumi mumbled. “But—“ 

 

“But you left us to starve,” Venom’s growling voice interrupted the young prince as he and Sakura walked to them, him coming from the back of her neck. 

 

“Venom, please…” Sakura pleaded for him not to start fights. “It wasn’t their fault that Iago found a way to control them. These guys aren’t even the same ones either.” 

 

The dancers’ and Takumi’s eyes widened. So it was Iago’s fault? At least one thing is explained. 

 

“Iago would’ve needed a door into their minds to do that,” the symbiote growled louder, “They couldn’t trust us!” 

 

“You don’t understand, Venom,” she countered, “You came from a land completely unknown to them and they had little time to really understand you. Humans are afraid of what they don’t understand.” 

 

He just huffed and turned towards the others. “You’re all lucky that despite everything that happened, she’s still so merciful.” 

 

Azura, Ryoma, and Takumi looked at her. 

 

“Sakura, we cannot change what has happened in your world, but we can still be your family here,” Azura said, reaching out to touch her face. 

 

Ryoma nodded, “She’s right. You’ve always been our sister and we couldn’t ask for better.” 

 

The girl gazed back at them. She closed her eyes and nodded, tears starting to flow down. It’s been so long. She missed her family so much. She wrapped her arms around them, sobbing. 

 

“I missed you all… so much,” she cried out. “I couldn’t know if any of you were alright because I was banished from the castle and I just…” She couldn’t speak anymore, being too absorbed in her crying. 

 

All of them hugged her back. Azura was comforting, not wanting to disturb her sister. Ryoma’s was secure, like he wanted to keep protecting his sister from the loneliness she felt. Takumi’s embrace was tight, wanting her to know that he didn’t want her to leave. 

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Mari had returned Azura’s tome to Corrin. To which the dream princess had thanked her with a nice pat on the head. She smiled. She really really liked Corrin. She found both of them so attractive. Plus, she just felt like they’ve been through so much. 

 

Other summoners usually didn’t like them for being so bland or stupid but she understood them. She too wasn’t allowed to leave her own home to go outside as a kid. And she knows it must’ve been so traumatising to have to experience losing your mother, remembering that your father died before getting kidnapped, becoming a dragon for the first time, and then having to choose between families. 

 

And this all happened in the same day! 

 

Mari admired them for being so strong. She would’ve broken down in their place if she had to go through that. 

 

“Thank you again for healing my feet,” Corrin said, patting her head again. 

 

She nodded, “Thank you for promising not to tell Jakob.” She giggled. 

 

Once Corrin had left, another person walked into the infirmary. 

 

“Mari, I’ve been looking all over for you,” Xander said, “I wasn’t sure whether to ask about Mari’s whereabouts or Mariposa’s.” 

 

She looked up at him, eyes widened slightly. “Xander! What brought you to come to me?” She asked, “Did you need something?” 

 

He nodded. “I wanted to talk to you,” he answered. “About last night.” His cheeks dusted a faint pink. He shut the door to the infirmary behind him. 

 

Mari tilted her head, gazing up at his features. She nodded back and patted the space beside her. He took a seat there and glanced at her. 

 

“What exactly did you want to talk about?” She asked. She bit her lip nervously. “Did you… like it?”

 

He breathed for a moment and then spoke, “I did. The kiss we shared was so… soft. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.” He still felt ashamed. “I am so sorry for taking your first kiss like that, I’m sure you wanted something better—“ 

 

“Xander, I already told you.” She cut him off, placing a finger to his lips. “I asked for this.” She reiterated, then smiled, “And I sure loved it.” 

 

That caught him off guard. His body tensed and it was his turn to be flustered. “I-I…” He couldn’t find the words. 

 

Whilst they were talking, a certain Hoshidan prince had overheard their conversation. He clenched his hands into fists, glaring at the infirmary door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do y’all even like this series? I’m not even sure if people like this story like— Am I just posting these for nothing? Idk


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